MORE STORIES

King City November ballot includes local option levy for police services

Current five-year levy expires June 30, 2015

The King City City Council voted 4 to 0 on Aug.6 to put a local option levy for police services on the November ballot.

The current five-year levy approved by voters in 2009 expires June 30, 2015, and will collect approximately $190,000 in fiscal year 2014-15.

"The recently approved 2014-15 budget indicated that the total operating budget for the police department is approximately $857,000," City Manager Dave Wells wrote in a memo to the City Council. "This shows that the local option levy provides a little over 22 percent of the department's funding."

He noted that previous council discussions plus a staff recommendation all support placing another five-year local option levy on the fall ballot.

"The amount of the levy will remain the same at $.55 per $1,000 of assessed valuation," Wells noted. "This measure will not increase property taxes."

The resolution approved by the council states in part that the "renewed levy beginning July 1, 2015, would allow the city to maintain police services at their current level, increase supervision, retain experienced officers, maintain competitive salaries and benefits to aid in hiring new officers, provide officer training, replace aging equipment and continue participation in the Washington County-wide PPDS Records System."

The cost to property owners would be approximately $6.88 per month or $82.50 per year on a $150,000 house, according to the resolution. The levy is estimated to raise $194,172 in 2015-16, $199,997 in 2016-17, $205,997 in 2017-18, $212,000 in 2018-19 and $218,542 in 2019-20.